Mixing machine



June 4, 1940. c.-w. KENDALL MIXING MACHINE FiledAug. 19, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Wk fw/(f f DALL ATTORNEY.

June 4, 1940. c w, KENDALL 2,203,356

MIXING MACHINE Filed Aug. 19, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 2/ /Vj;j KN0Au BY ATTORNEY.

June 4, 1940. c w KENDALL 2,203,356

MIXING MACHINE Filed Aug. 19, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 IQNVENTOR.

%% fi/RL KENDALL, BY m ATTORNEY.

June 4, 1940. c, w KENDALL 2,203,356 I MIXING MACHINE Filed Aug. 19, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

C- W. KENDALL MIXING MACHINE ,June 4, 1940;

5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 19, 1938 INVENTOR.

4, CARL WKEIVDALQ ATTORNEY;

Patented June 4, 1940 UNITED STATES arcane PATENT OFFICE 8 Claims.

This invention relates to a method and means for mixing bottled beverages and has for an object to provide a novel and improved machine for mixing the syrup and carbonated water of such beverages after bottling.

Another object is to provide a machine of the above type which is capable of effecting the required dispersion of the syrup or flavoring matter in the carbonated water without agitating lo the material to an extent which would cause the cap or stopper to be blown off by the liberated gas.

Another object is to provide a novel and improved machine which causesthe syrup to flow 15) through the carbonated water first in one direction and then in the other until the required dispersion is obtained. A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved machine for periodically and intermittently turning a bottle end-overend so as to cause the contents to flowalternately from top to bottom, and vice versa.

Another object is to provide a machine for turning a bottle end-over-end, first in one direction and then in the other.

Another object is to provide a machine of the above type which is quiet and efficient in operation.

Various other objects and advantages will be 2m apparent as the nature of the invention is more fully disclosed.

Although the novel features which are believed to be characteristic of this invention will be pointed out more particularly in the claims ap- ".3 pended hereto, the invention itself may be better understood by referring to'the following description, takenin connection with the accompanying drawings, in which a specific embodiment thereof is set forth for purpose of illus- 21 tration.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of a mixing machine embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof;

45 Figure 3 is a section takenalong the line 3--3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a partial section taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 4a. is a section taken along the line 50 4a-4a of Figure 4;

55 Figure 5; and

Figure 7 is a development of the cam track for turning the bottle carriers.

In the following description and in the claims, certain specific terms. are used for convenience in referring to various details of the invention. 5 These terms, however, are to be given as broad an interpretation as the state of the art Will permit.

Referring to the drawings more in detail, the v invention is shown as embodied in a mixing machine having a base Ill (Figures 1 to l) supported by suitable feet H and carrying a pedestal l2 provided with bearings I4 in which a vertical shaft I is journalled. In the embodiment shown, the shaft I5 is driven by a bevelled gear 13 iii meshing with a bevelled gear I! carried by a shaft l8 which is driven by a suitable gear train (not shown) mounted in a gear box and actuated by a belt 2| driving a pulley 22. The 1 belt 2| may be driven by a motor 23 through 20 a Reeves variable speed drive 24 or the like by which the speed of operation may be varied as desired.

The shaft l5 carries at its upper end a spider 25 which supports a ring 26. The ring 26 and 25 spider 25 form a rotating turret and may be cast in one piece or may be formed of separate pieces secured together in any convenient manner.

A plurality of bottle carriers are disposed in 30 spaced relationship, as at stations A to P, around the ring 26. Each bottle carrier comprises a platform 30 (Figure 5) adapted to receive the bottom of a bottle and carried by a bracket 3| mounted upon a horizontal spindle 32 which is 35 journalled ina boss 33 in the ring 26. A clamp 36 is mounted upon a rod 3'! extending through a bore 38 in the bracket 3| and normally held by a spring 39 in engagement with the cap 40 of the bottle (Figures 1 to 3). The clamp 36 40 may be provided with a split collar 4| (Figure 5) and a set screw 42 by which it may be adjustably secured to the rod 31 for adjustment to receive bottles of different sizes. The spring 39 is adapted to cause the bottle to be firmly gripped between the platform 3!) and the clamp 36. A

pin 43 on the rod 31 is adapted toslide in a slot 44 in the bracket 3| to prevent the rod 31 from turning during the operation of the device and to form a stopfor the rod 3! when no bottle is present in the carrier.

The bottom of the rod 31 may be providedwith suitable lifting means. In the embodiment shown, this comprises a roller 45 which is secured in a fork 46 and is adapted to ride on a stationary cam rail t! for lifting the clamp 35 at the proper times to receive or release the bottle. The cam rail t! may be provided with sloping ends i8 and 49 adapted respectively to gradually elevate and release the rod 3? and may be attached to brackets 50 and Si which are supported by the base it] (Figures 1 to 3).

Each of the spindles 32 carries a pinion M engaging a rack 55 (Figures 5 and 6) which slides in a channel iii: formed in a bracket 51 carried by the ring 25. Each spindle 32 also carries an arm 58 provided with a roller 59. Each rack 55 is provided with a roller 69 engaging a cam track 6! which is supported by arms 62 (Figure 1) carried by a bracket 63 which is attached to the pedestal l2. The cam track 6! is provided with a plurality of horizontal portions 6E0. adapted to hold the bottle in an upright position. as will be described, a plurality of horizontal portions Gib adapted to hold the bottle in an inverted position, a plurality of horizontal portions iilc adapted to hold the bottle in an upright position after having been turned through 360, and a plurality of inclined connecting sections iild which connect the horizontal sections tla, 61b and Bio and cause vertical movement of the rack 55 adapted to turn the bottle support through 180.

The roller 59 rides between guide rails 58 which are carried by brackets 68 attached to the cam track 6|. The guide rails 68 are mounted in a position to hold the bottle support upright while the bottles are being received and discharged, as will be described.

The arrangement of the cam track 6! is such that continued rotation of the turret causes the rack 55 to be moved vertically when the roller 68 engages the inclined portions Bid of the cam track 6|. When the roller 68 engages the horizontal portion (Ha of the cam track, the rack 55 is held stationary and no turning movement of the bottle carrier takes place.

The arrangement is such that the bottle carrier is rotated intermittently first in one direction and then in the other. Referring to Figure '7, as the roller 66 engages the first horizontal portion Gla of the cam track 6!, the bottle carrier is in upright position. Progressing from right to left, in Figure 7, the first inclined portion Sld causes a movement of the rack 55 sufficient to rotate the bottle carrier through 180. The horizontal portion 61b holds the bottle in this up-side-down position. The next inclined portion Blcl again reverses the bottle carrier and returns the same to an upright position where it is held by the horizontal portion filo. The fur ther movement of the roller 60 over the next inclined portion Sid of the cam track 6! again reverses the position of the bottle but causes the same to turn in the opposite direction. In the following horizontal section Mb, the bottle carrier is again held in an up-side-down position and the next inclined portion fild again reverses the bottle support and brings the same to an upright position, the direction of turning, however, being the opposite from that produced by the first two inclined portions. This cycle of operation is repeated as many times as desired. In the embodiment shown, the cycle of operation is twice repeated during each rotation of the turret, the bottle being turned completely over and brought back to its original position twice during the period of travel through the machine.

It will be noted that there is a certain period assures an even, uniform dispersion. throughout It will be understood, of course,

the contents. that the number of rotations of the bottle support and the positions at which'these rotations take place may be varied, as desired. In certain instances, the actuations of the bottle support may be at irregular intervals, so as to obtain a greater shaking effect.

It will be noted that the machine is adapted to operate in either direction and that the roller 59 and the cam track 6! are so designed that the same intermittent rotation of the bottle support takes place regardless of the direction of the rotation of the turret.

Bottles are fed to the bottle carriers by a sta wheel iii (Figures 1 and 3) having a plurality of recesses H adapted to selectively receive and The star wheel l0 may be I position the bottles. mounted on a vertical shaft 12 which is journalled in a boss 13 in the bracket 50 and is provided with a bevelled gear 14 meshing with a similar bevelled gear '55 which is mounted on the horizontal shaft is which is journalled in bearings it in the bracket 5 The star wheel Til has associated therewith a guide rail l8 and a plate 19 attached to the bracket 50, which cooperate Withthe recesses H to feed the bottles to the station A in a position to be gripped by the bottle carriers. A roller 11 may be resiliently mounted by a spring rod attached to a bracket ill to guide the bottles into the proper position in the recesses H of the star wheel 10. If a bottle should be improperly positioned, this roller 'l'l swings outwardly to provide the necessary clearance and to prevent breaking of the bottle or damage to the machine.

The bottles are removed from the bottle carriers at the station 0 by a star wheel 82 (Figure et 5i in a manner similar to the shaft '12 abovedescribed. The shaft 84 carries a sprocket 85 which is driven by a chain 86 from a sprocket 81 carried by the shaft 12. The star wheel 82 is provided with a guide rail 88 and a base plate 89 attached to the bracket 5| to receive the bottles from the bottle carrier at the station 0.

It has been pointed out that the device can. be operated so that the direction of travel of the bottles will be the reverse of that shown in the drawings. When this is done, the star wheels just described, which feed the bottles to the machine and discharge the bottles from the .machine, will work in opposite directions. It will, therefore, be necessary to remove the star wheels and substitute other star wheels in which the in the proper direction. These star wheels will v recesses are so designed as to feed the bottles be the same as the present star wheels if they were turned top side down. The roller 11 may, of course, be positioned to cooperate with the star wheel 82 as the latter thus becomes the feed wheel for feeding bottles to the bottle carriers. There are a number of reasons for desiring the bottles to travel through the machine in reverse direction. For example, it may become necesary, because of other equipment used or because of the layout of the plant, that the mixing machine be placed in a particular location. It is also desirable, when two mixing machines are used in connection with a single split feed from the capping machine, that one mixer work in one direction and the other mixer work in the other direction.

The stationary cam rail 41 is positioned to engage the roller d as the same approaches the station 0 so as to elevate the clamp 36 and release the bottle at the station 0. The cam rail 41 is preferably extended to hold the clamp 36 in elevated position until after the mechanism has passed the station A and has received another bottle from the star wheel 10. If desired, the cam rail 41 may be discontinuous so that the clamp 36 is elevated only at the stations 0 and A for releasing and receiving bottles respectively.

In the embodiment shown, the machine is adapted to receive a row of bottles from a conveyor 92 which is driven by suitable means and conveys bottles from the filling and the capping machine, not shown.

The star wheel is mounted to receive the bottles from the conveyor 92 and feed the same to the bottle carriers for mixing. The star wheel 82 is mounted to feed the bottles from the bottle carriers to a conveyor 93, which may comprise a continuation of the conveyor 92, and is adapted to carry the bottles to a labelling machine or the like, not shown.

In the operation of this machine, the bottles after being filled and capped are received on the conveyor 92 from the capping machine. The charge of syrup and carbonated water is supplied by the filling machine, preferably at a low temperature, so as to reduce the tendency of the gas to separate from the water. The bottles are successively removed from the conveyor 92 by the star wheel 10 and are fed thereby to the station A where they are gripped by the clamp 36 of the bottle carrier. They are then advanced by the rotating turret and are intermittently turned end-over-end as the rollers 60 reach the inclinded portions lild of the cam track 6|. In the form shown, eight such reversals occur, but it is to be understood that the number and timing of the reversals may be varied as desired. It is necessary for successful mixing that the reversal of the bottle be done suddenly so that the heavy syrup will flow down through the carbonated water instead of following down the side of the bottle as would be the case if the bottle were reversed slowly or tilted only at an angle of say 50. After each reversal, the bottle remains vertical for a time to allow the syrup to flow downwardly in the carbonated water'and to become dispersed therein. This also prevents separation from taking place due to centrifugal force. In one embodiment, the machine may be operated at the rate of 120 bottles a minute. The speed of operation, however, depends upon the number of stations and the particular substances being treated.

The bottles, after mixing, are removed from the station 0 and fed by the star wheel 82 to the conveyor 93 by which they are carried to the labelling machineor the like. It will be noted that the machine may be positioned to receive the bottles from and to return the bottles to the capping and labelling machines so that no interruption or rearrangement of the process of bottling is required.

It will be noted that adjustments may be made by the set screws 42 to accommodate bottles of various sizes, such as pints and quarts. The star wheel 82 may, if desired, be driven directly from the gear train in the box or other driving means may be substituted for that shown herein, provided the necessary synchronization is obtained.

In the embodiment shown, the roller 59 engages the guide rails 68 while the bottle carrier is passing between the bottle discharging position (station 0) and the bottle receiving position (station A). This roller serves to hold the bottle carrier upright in these positions and to eliminate any tendency of the same to be turned due to the action of the roller 45 engaging the cam rail 41. The guide rails 68, of course, terminate in a. position to release the bottle carriers for-the necessary rotary movement as the turret is rotated from station A to station 0. The construction is such that a quiet and efiicient operation is obtained. The bottle supports, in advancing around the machine, are suddenly turned or flipped through 180. After each turn a period of dwell is provided to permit the contents of the bottle to flow downwardly.

In the embodiment shown there are two turns or flips in one direction followed by two turns or flips in the opposite direction. It is to be understood, of course, that the number of such turns and the points at which the direction of turn changes may be varied as desired. It has been found, however, that by changing the direction of rotation of the bottle supports after the bottle has been rotated through 360 by two 180 turns, the tendency of the heavier constituents, such as syrup, to flow along one side of the bottle is eliminated, and the syrup is more completely broken up and more uniformly dispersed throughout the contents of the bottle. The cam track 6! may be changed, however, to provide any. desired change in operation. For example, the bottle carriers may be turned end-over-end through 180 and then be turned back in the opposite direction by the same amount. This may be followed by another 180 turn in the same or in the opposite direction and another reversal to restore the bottle to upright position, or an irregular sequence may be followed, such as two or more 180 turns in one direction, one or more reverse turns, etc., as may be required to mix any particular beverage. After the required dispersion has been obtained, the bottles are ready for the market and the contents thereof will ordinarily remain in dispersed condition and without appreciable separation until the same has been consumed.

Although a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown for purpose of illustration, it is to be understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein as will readily appear to a person skilled in the art. The invention is to be limited only in accordance with the following claims when interpreted in view of the prior art.

I claim: a

1. In a mixing machine, a rotating turret, a plurality of bottle carriers disposed about the periphery thereof and mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis, a pinion associated with each carrier, a rack engaging each pinion, and a stationary cam track cooperating with said rack to cause vertical movement thereof adapted to rotate said bottle carrier as the turret is advanced.

2. In a mixing machine, a rotating turret, a plurality of bottle carriers disposed about the peripher thereof and mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis, a pinion associated with each carrier, a rack engaging each pinion, and a stationary cam track cooperating with said rack to cause intermittent reciprocal movement thereof adapted to intermittently reverse the position of said bottle carrier as the turret is advanced.

3. In a mixing machine, a rotating turret, a plurality of bottle carriers disposed about the periphery thereof and mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis, a pinion associated with each carrier, a rack engaging each pinion, a circular cam track, a member carried by said rack and engaging said track, said track being adapted to cause intermittent reciprocal movement of said rack as the turret is advanced.

4. In a mixing machine, a rotating turret, a plurality of bottle carriers disposed about the periphery thereof and mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis, a pinion associated with each carrier, a rack engaging each pinion, and a circular cam track cooperating with said rack to control the position thereof, said track having alternate horizontal and inclined portions adapted to cause intermittent rotation of said bottle carrier as the turret advances.

5. Ina mixing machine, a rotating turret, a plurality of bottle carriers disposed about the periphery thereof and mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis, a pinion associated with each carrier, a rack engaging each pinion, and means actuating said rack as the turret advances to cause intermittent reciprocal movement thereof adapted to intermittently rotate said bottle carrier.

6. In a mixing machine, a rotating turret, a

plurality of bottle carriers disposed about the periphery thereof, each of said bottle carriers comprising a support adapted to engage the bottom of a bottle, a clamp adapted to engage the top thereof, a bracket carrying said support and. clamp, said bracket being rotatably mounted in said turret to turn about a horizontal axis, spring means holding said clamp in engagement with a bottle top, a stationary cam track adapted to release said clamp at selected stations of said turret, an arm carrying a roller associated with said bracket, a guide rail engaging said roller at said selected stations to hold said bracket in a predetermined position, a pinion carried by said bracket, a rack engaging said pinion, and a cam track cooperating with said rack to-cause intermittent reciprocal movement thereof at other selected stations as the turret advances so as to intermittently turn said bottle carrier end-overend.

'2. In a mixing machine, a rotating turret, a plurality of bottle carriers disposed about the periphery thereof and mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis, a pinion associated with each carrier, a rack engaging each pinion, a circular cam track cooperating with said rack to cause vertical movement thereof as the turret advances, said cam track being adapted to rotate said bottle carrier in steps of 180 each and to periodically reverse the direction of rotation thereof.

8. In a mixing machine, a rotating turret, a plurality of bottle carriers disposed about the periphery thereof and mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis, a pinion associated with each carrier, a rack engaging each pinion, a circular cam track cooperating with said rack to cause vertical movement thereof as the turret advances, said cam track being adapted to rotate said bottle carrier in steps of 180 each and to reverse the direction of rotation after the bottle carrier has been turned through 360, whereby the bottles are flipped end-over-end first in one direction and then in the other.

CARL W. KENDALL. 

